The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 15, 2003
Filed:
Sep. 11, 2000
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A coordinate inputting/detecting apparatus for optically detecting a position of a designating device inserted into a flat or substantially flat two-dimensional coordinate inputting/detecting area of the apparatus includes a coordinate determining device to determine two-dimensional coordinates of the designating device in the coordinate inputting/detecting area. A distance determining device determines a distance of the designating device from a surface of the coordinate inputting/detecting area when the designating device is located on or in vicinity to the coordinate inputting/detecting area. A storing device stores information of the two-dimensional coordinates determined by the coordinates determining device and information of the distance determined by the distance determining device so as to be associated with each other. A coordinates change detecting/storing device detects a change of the two-dimensional coordinates information at a predetermined time interval and stores the detected change of the two-dimensional coordinates information. A distance change detecting/storing device detects a change of the distance information at a predetermined time interval and stores the detected change of the distance information. A state allocating device allocates at least one designating state among designating states of the designating device stored in advance, based upon the coordinate change information and the distance change information.